


Cramming in the Clown Car

by plasticlizard022



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:35:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23136256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plasticlizard022/pseuds/plasticlizard022
Summary: You, Sam, Steve, and Bucky cram in a little car to meet Sharon so that you can gear up. {This is the very start of your relationship with Bucky}A/N: Um, the ending was a little weaker than I wanted so I will probably come back to this later
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader
Kudos: 49





	Cramming in the Clown Car

You were crammed in the backseat of some tiny ricky-dink car with none other than the Winter Soldier himself. Sam had called shotgun and claimed the passenger seat - something that Steve almost objected to. You could tell that for just a moment Steve was worried about putting you in the backseat. It was less about him not trusting his friend - he trusted Bucky fully - but it was more about him worried about how you would feel being back there with him. You had given him a quick look before slipping into your spot; you were not afraid - not of Bucky, at least. Steve had a good sense of judgement and if he trusted the ex-sergeant then you could too. 

It was quiet for the first portion. There were still plenty of people looking for the four of you (but more specifically, for Bucky). It was like you all were afraid to listen to the radio or speak or even breathe. Occasionally Sam would mutter something quietly to the Cap and then the little radio was turned on and quiet music jingled through at a low setting. 

The car was old and the roads bumpy and the backseat tight. Your knees bumped against the Winter Soldier's. You could tell he was trying his hardest to stay on his side of the vehicle without completely cramping his body. You didn't pay much attention to the brushing of knees and bumping of shoulders; you used to take the subway during your brief stay in New York City after graduating and that was far more uncomfortable and crowded. 

Bucky kept shifting. He would push against Sam's seat in front of him causing the two of them to bicker which resulted in Steve begging them to get along - there was enough on your plates right now. You rested your hand on Bucky's knee and felt him tense. He eyed you curiously, or maybe he was just making sure that you weren't going to hurt him. You gave him a small, reassuring squeeze. "It's okay," you offered a disarming smile. 

A small, crooked smile crept on his lips. It took a moment to register it - appreciation. How long had it been since he had been given such a simple, tender touch? It broke your heart. You always had so much love to give and you were [usually] surrounded by such a supportive and caring team. You couldn't imagine the isolation he felt. You felt guilty for ever being afraid of him - though it wasn't him you had really feared but the killer that Hydra had forced him to become. 

You felt guilty when you realized his noticed you looking at him with pity. He turned his attention out of the window. You pulled your hand off of your knee and tried to listen to the barely audio music coming from the tinny radio. Everyone sat in silence again. Sam would mutter something sarcastic to the Cap occasionally just to break the growing tension. 

You glanced over at Bucky. He was staring out of the front window now. You sighed gently. You weren't normally bashful but for whatever reason you felt sheepish talking to the Winter Solider. Maybe it was because the near silence in the car was so heavy it was clogging your throat - even a whisper might feel like a scream. "Can I touch it?" you finally blurted out. Steve met your eyes in the rear-view mirror and Sam glanced back at you as well. 

It took Bucky a moment to realize you were talking to him about his arm. He seemed unsure (and so did Sam). This was really a weapon of mass destruction. "Yeah," he finally said. He focused on his breathing. He didn't think he would snap right now, but he really couldn't afford to slip into Winter Solider mode if she was manhandling his robotic arm. 

You offered another one of your classic disarming smiles. That was one thing you had nailed long ago when you were first beginning your doctor work. Patients were often much less afraid of you and whatever treatment you suggested if you only gave them a smile assuring them that everything was okay. 

You took his hand into both of yours and bent it at each finger. This was the finest prosthetic you had ever seen; part of you wished you could take it off and really see how it worked on the inside. You reclined a little bit more comfortably in your seat (as much as one could anyway) and felt over each groove in his hand. You bent everything you could and would glance up at him occasionally. "Can you feel this?" you would ask among a few other questions. 

The doctor inside of you was really excited. You were't buckled so it wasn't hard to push yourself between Sam and Steve to grab your pack that you had stowed away in the dash. You yanked it out and pulled out a small journal you kept in there. You jotted notes about his arm in there. You was always trying to learn about every advancement in medicine and treatments so you were like a kid in a candy shop. "What the hell are you doing, Y/N?" Sam grumbled. 

His sleeve was partially rolled up and you felt up to the sleeve. You wanted to see how it connected at the shoulder. You were on a roll so you just slid your hand up under his sleeve. Your fingers danced along his bicep but you couldn't quiet get to his shoulder because of the cut of the shirt. "Would it be alright if I just-" you began to ask but just went for it. You moved your hand into the collar of his shirt and felt where the arm was connected at the shoulder. You felt the muscles and the tissue. You pulled the collar aside and made a note of how it all looked. 

You slumped down in your seat and scribbled away furiously for awhile. But you had this feeling someone was watching you. Steve kept glancing in the mirror to check on the both of you. But Bucky was watching you curiously and kept stealing glances at your journal. Part of him just needed to know if you were writing about what a monster he was. "That was cold," he stated. You hadn't even thought about how you didn't have your cuffs on!

You were in a medical accident that gave you ice powers. Tony had helped create these gauntlets that not only enhanced your powers by providing you a water vapor to freeze but helped you control your powers! Bucky was lucky you didn't have a death grip on his shoulder or you might've frozen that metal arm right off of his body. 

"Sorry. I got carried away," you smiled an embarrassed grin and bit at your thumbnail. You had gotten handsy and comfortable. You showed him the notebook. There were plenty of medical notes and sketches. It was just observations about the functionality of the appendages; hardly anything else about him besides his description:  
Subject: James Buchanan Barnes  
Age: *scribbled out*

"Ninety-nine," Bucky said as he looked over your notes. The quizzical look on your face prompted a more in-depth answer. "Age. I was born in 1917." Sometimes it was still hard to wrap your mind around that. You knew he had to be around Steve's age. Physically, he wasn't ninety-nine. That was because of the cryogenic freezing. 

"Well, you're not looking bad for a centenarian," you chuckled and shoved your journal back in your pack after fixing his age. Physically he looked to be in the prime of his life. Superior strength and agility - of course, there was a super-serum in his system that helped with all of that, too. 

Steve chuckled from the driver's seat. Bucky chuckled, too. The atmosphere in the car had shifted, if only for a moment it was warm and comfortable. "He's rolling his eyes because he's a year younger than me," Bucky said. You chuckled too. It was nice to see everyone relaxed enough to laugh. 

The rest of the ride was pretty quiet after that but the quiet was less suffocating than before. It was more peaceful and still. Bucky was comfortable enough to let your knees and shoulders touch. He was still uncomfortable and cramped. He shifted constantly which caused the car to rock. 

Finally, Steve pulled under an old underpass. There was a silver Audi already waiting there. Sharon Carter climbed out of the car and Steve stepped out to meet her. The three of you watched from inside the car. Bucky shifted uncomfortably again. "Can you move your seat up?" Bucky asked Sam. The car had stopped moving so he found no reason for him to decline.

"No." 

"We can switch," you said quietly. You weren't quite sure why either of the boys were making such a big deal out of this when much larger things were at stake but here they were bickering about the seating arrangements. You were going to just hop over his lap but the space in the back was far too small for that. 

You stepped out of the car and let Bucky slide into your spot, though really he moved more into the middle so he had more room for his legs. Steve and Sharon watched you with eyebrows raised. "It's fine," was all you offered before moving around the backside of the car and slipping in through the other door. You sat hip to hip with Bucky. He glanced over at you and held your gaze as you shut the door, locking yourself in this close-quartered position with him. It was hard to read his emotions - was he being bashful at the casual intimacy? Was he annoyed that you had locked yourself in so tightly against him? You turned your attention back out the front window towards Steve. You leaned forward almost as if that would help you hear what they were saying though it obviously didn't help. 

You watched as Steve locked lips with Sharon. A playful smirk spread across your lips. A quick glance confirmed that both Sam and Bucky shared the same goofy grin. Steve turned your way and both boys gave their nodding approval. You chuckled gently and leaned back in your seat. You just wanted the best for that goofy senior. 

Steve threw his shield and Sam's falcon wings in the trunk. He moved back into the driver's seat and tossed back your wrist cuffs. You hummed happily and slipped them on your wrists. You flexed your fingers and rolled your wrists. It didn't feel any different to you, but when you touched the window to test the wristbands, the window didn't fog up from the cold. Bucky watched you and touched your hand to see for himself. It took you by surprise at first but you let him play with your fingers. It was only fair since you had played with his. 

The next thing you know, you're asleep against his shoulder. You hadn't realized how long it had been since someone had touched YOU intimately like that. Your line of work - both being a hero and a doctor - didn't allow you much time for intimacy. She found the love she needed through the close friendships she had formed with her teammates. But the simple act of someone just touching her hand was so nice and comfortable, and it had been a really long and restless day, that she just felt safe enough to doze off leaned against Bucky.


End file.
